


Speak Now

by Auralae



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), F/M, I take it back, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, Reveal, Some Angst (Sorta), There's more angst than expected, Weddings, whoops
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-10
Updated: 2017-04-04
Packaged: 2018-09-23 10:10:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,877
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9651245
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Auralae/pseuds/Auralae
Summary: Chat Noir's getting married and Ladybug's invited to the wedding! Stunned by her partner's news, Ladybug accepts the invitation. After all, how could she not support her partner when he needed her? However this is only the first of several shocks. When she finds out that her partner is the same as her crush, what will Marinette do?





	1. An Invitation

**Author's Note:**

> Hi Everyone! As I'm sure you all know, these characters are not owned by me and belong to ZAG Studios and all of them. Aside from that formality, I hope that you guys enjoy the story!

Marinette stared at herself in the mirror before glancing over at Tikki. Perched upon her shoulder, Tikki gave Marinette an encouraging smile.

“It’ll be fine! Stop worrying! You don’t have much time and Alya will be here soon to pick you up!”

“You’re right. Okay. I can do this!” Marinette returned a nervous smile and took a deep breath, straightening her back and closing her eyes. She focused on controlling her heart rate and breathing until she felt calmer. Then she opened her eyes and grabbed her purse, letting Tikki zip inside with a few cookies. Looking herself over in the mirror one last time, she felt confident that if nothing else went well, at least she looked fantastic. Then she turned and strolled outside to wait.

The events of the past couple of weeks weighed heavily on her mind. The same events that had completely flipped her world on its head.

 

  
**~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~**

 

  
Ladybug had just finished patrolling with Chat and, as usual, they ended their patrol atop the Eiffel Tower. They sat side by side overlooking the beautiful city that they protected. Besides being the best location to spot potential problems around the city, the view from the tower also reminded them of what they were fighting for. But Paris wasn’t what was on Ladybug’s mind at the moment.

Chat had been unusually quiet over the last month. Quiet was generally not a term that people applied to Chat, but silent was one that never was. Tonight, he hadn’t cracked one of his signature puns at all, only making sounds to indicate agreement over which part of the city to patrol. As much as Ladybug appreciated the break from all of his bad jokes, she hated seeing her partner and best friend feeling down. Tonight, she would get to the bottom of his moodiness.

“Minou? Tell me what’s bothering you.”

Chat continued to stare down at Paris in silence.

“Chat? Chat!” She nudged his shoulder, startling him from his trance. His head jerked up towards her.

“Huh? Sorry. I’ve just been… a little distracted.”

“A little? You’ve been quiet for the last month and you haven’t spoken at all during patrol tonight. You know I’m here for you, right? We’ve been partners for so many years. You can always trust me to share your burdens.”

“N-no! It’s really no big deal.” He went back to looking out at Paris and his voice grew quieter as he seemed to almost be talking to himself.

“Tons of people get married every day. It’s not a big deal. Nope! Not at all!”

His eyes widened and he turned to see her stunned face gaping at him. “I said that out loud, didn’t I?”

She nodded, eyes still conveying her shock. “Y-you’re getting MARRIED? You never even mentioned that you were dating someone before! I mean… not that you had to talk to me about it, but you’ve always mentioned it before. Not that I’m not happy for you! Ummm… So congratulations?”

Chat sighed and leaned back to stare at the stars. “I wasn’t dating someone before. It’s an arranged marriage that my father put together. I mean, I’ve known her for a long time, but she’s just a friend to me.”

A small, bittersweet smile crossed his lips. “She’s no you after all, my Lady.”

He shook his head, “Sorry to bring the mood down. Actually, I’ve been debating if I should invite you. I’d really like to, but it’d mean revealing my identity to you. And I know that we can’t do that. But it just… doesn’t feel right to not have my best friend there. I know I shouldn’t ask, but… would you come to my wedding? To support me? You don’t even have to go to the reception. Just knowing that you were in the crowd during the actual ceremony would be great.”

His usually cheerful green eyes were filled with desperate panic as they implored her to consider his request. Without thinking, she put her hand on his shoulder to comfort him. After almost five years of defending Paris together, they’d been through a lot. Several supervillains had come and gone. But through it all, Chat had remained by her side. He’d been her rock and confidant in many ways.

Five years was a long time and even Tikki had said that it was probably okay to share each other’s identities. But until now, there just hadn’t been enough of a reason to do so. And if he needed her support, how could she say no? She couldn’t. Not to the one person that had risked his life for hers time and time again.

“Of course.”

His body sagged in relief and he hugged her gratefully. “Thank you. Ummm… I brought the invitation with me. I wasn’t sure, but I really hoped… Just… Thank you. Thank you so much, Ladybug.”

Chat reached into his pocket and removed an envelope from within. On the outside, there was a simple drawing of a ladybug. He handed it to her and stood with a sigh.

“Milady? I a-paw-logize for my silence tonight. Thank you again for listening to this poor cat’s request. But for now, I must bid you adieu. I need to be up early to help deal with some wedding planning items. Good night, my Lady.”

Ladybug stood as well, clutching the invitation in one hand. “You’re absolutely welcome, mon minou. Take care and get some rest. And remember that I’m always here if you need to talk.”

With a half-hearted salute, Chat flipped backwards off of the tower. Ladybug simply shook her head at his antics and opened the envelope to view the invitation inside. Reading the first few lines, she froze.

_Monsieur André Bourgeois_  
_Requests the honour of your presence_  
 _At the marriage of his daughter_  
 ** _Chloé Bourgeois_**  
 _To_  
 ** _Adrien Agreste_**

 

**~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~**

 

  
Hours later, Marinette sat on her bed and stared at the invitation in front of her. Her fingers traced over a name: “Adrien Agreste”. Her mangy, pun-loving cat was… Adrien? She tried to compare them in her mind. Physically, it was entirely possible. Adrien’s hair was always coiffed, but if it were messed up she could imagine it being like Chat’s hair. They both were the same height and were very fit. And their eyes were the brightest green that she’d ever seen.

No. What was troubling her was putting together that her ridiculous, dramatic partner was the same person as the kind and put together Adrien. It just didn’t fit. She started to compare their personalities side by side. Adrien was kind and so was Chat. Chat was talkative, while Adrien was not. Chat was incredibly brave and selfless. She couldn’t even count how many times he had thrown himself in front of danger to protect her. Adrien… Actually, now that she was looking for it, Adrien had done similar things. When Max had been akumatized, he had shot at Adrien and her while they were in the park. And Adrien had tackled her to help her avoid the blast, even though he could’ve been caught in the blast instead.

Come to think of it, when she had accused Lila of being a liar, his first reaction had been to ask her if she was ashamed of her behavior. Right after that, he seemed to realize what he’d said and immediately covered it by asking if she had been too harsh. Maybe he really was Chat. Chat was so protective of people. And he had such a strong sense of justice. So perhaps the Adrien that Marinette saw was… a masked version of himself?

Marinette shook her head. How confusing… and yet understandable. Adrien had to deal with the weight of maintaining his image for his family and for his father’s company. Maybe… he only felt free to express himself when he was Chat? She furrowed her brows, imagining just how bad it had to be at home, if Adrien had no other safe space to be himself. It was… incredibly sad.

“Marinette? Are you okay?” Tikki came over and nuzzled her cheek.

“I think I am. It’s just a lot to take in. I mean… I feel like I know Adrien better than ever… and yet know nothing at all.”

She looked around her room. Over the past few years, the decor had toned down a little. She now only had 43 pictures of Adrien, instead of the 75 that had been plastered on her wall when she was 15. Since Adrien often came over to her apartment with Nino and Alya to hang out, all of her posters and photos of Adrien had ended up in her room.

Looking at them now, she noticed how empty they seemed compared to how lively Chat could be. In her head, she had known that Adrien often used a “model smile” when he was at photoshoots. A fake smile that didn’t convey how he really felt. A mask. Marinette wrapped her arms around herself. She had always known it was fake, but she hadn’t realized that it was empty.

When she thought of Chat, she immediately thought of warmth and safety. He was such a giving person. Over the years, he took care of her in so many small ways: making silly jokes to cheer her up when she was feeling down, bringing her some hot chocolate on nights when it was freezing outside and they still had to patrol, and giving her advice for anything and everything. Now that she knew that he was Adrien, it felt completely obvious. Adrien was always thinking about how he could help others. It was one of the things that she had always loved about him… and about Chat.

Did she love Chat? She chuckled at how stupid that sounded. Chat was Adrien and she loved Adrien, so of course she must love Chat. But it wasn’t like she’d known that they were one and the same until tonight. If she separated the two of them and asked the question, how would she respond?

Did she love Chat? The foolish, impulsive, protective, dedicated cat that was her partner? He drove her crazy with his antics and jokes. Sometimes he scared her because he’d charge forward without thinking. Or even worse, he would throw himself into danger to protect her. He made her smile and laugh. The way he always looked out for her and how he really listened to her. Sometimes, it felt like he could hear the things that she didn’t say. The thoughts that stayed inside her head.

Did she love Chat Noir? There really wasn’t another answer to give. It had to be a yes. If she hadn’t been in love with Adrien, she absolutely would have fallen in love with Chat. Marinette’s face flushed at the confession. Then the meaning of it hit her and she swallowed hard. Oh boy. She loved Chat. And Adrien. And they- uhhh... HE was getting married.

Adrien was getting married. What was she going to do? What could she do? At this point, she almost didn’t feel like she deserved to have him. She hadn’t recognized him. Hadn’t recognized that his mask was on for far more than the photoshoots. If she really loved him, shouldn’t she have been able to see that? Shouldn’t she have known?

She reached over and grabbed the nearest pillow from her bed, cuddling it to her in an attempt to help her deal with all of her feelings.

“Marinette? Do you want to talk about it?” Tikki sat atop the pillow and looked at her with concern. Marinette leaned back a little so that she could look at Tikki better… only to realize that the pillow that she had grabbed was her cat pillow. She groaned and swore the universe had it out for her tonight.

“Tikki, what do I do? He’s getting married. And I don’t know what to do. I think I love him. Not just him as Adrien. I love… I think I love Chat too.” She blushed. It was the first time that she had admitted that out loud and it still shocked her a little. Tikki gasped and zipped about in circles happily.

“I can’t believe it! This is amazing! This means that Adrien’s been in love with you this whole time too!” Marinette could feel her cheeks burn as that information settled in her brain. Adrien liked her. HOLY COW ADRIEN LIKED HER. Breathe Marinette breathe!

“Don’t freak out, Marinette!” Tikki grabbed a sheet of paper and flew back to fan Marinette’s face. Meanwhile, Marinette was trying to drag deep breaths in to avoid hyperventilating because ADRIEN LIKED HER. But was it too late? Adrien was getting married. The proof sat of that sat on the bed next to her.

“Tikki, do you think it’s too late for Adrien and me? Maybe… maybe it’s just not meant to be. I’ve rejected him so often as Chat and I wasn’t able to see his pain as Adrien… He’s given me so much and I feel like I’ve given him nothing back. What if he wants to go through with this marriage? And even if he likes Ladybug, there’s no guarantee that he likes Marinette as well. We’re friends, but that’s it. Not even close friends, apparently, since he didn’t feel comfortable being himself around us.”

Tikki dashed over and floated right in front of Marinette’s face.

“Marinette Dupain-Cheng. You are Ladybug and Ladybug is you. There’s no dividing the two. It’s a part of you, just like Chat is a part of Adrien. You’re extraordinarily talented, brave, kind, selfless, dedicated, and intelligent. You’ve been in love with Adrien for 5 years and he’s been in love with you for that long as well. Your rejections may have hurt him, but that just means that you’re going to have to be the one that takes that first step. There are no guarantees in life, not even for people with extra luck on their side. You have a chance to be truly happy. Don’t let it slip away. I’ve seen past Ladybugs do so and come to regret it. You’ve always been one of the brightest Ladybugs that I’ve had and I don’t want to see you have this regret. Take the chance, Marinette. Find out if he even wants this wedding. Maybe he’s hoping that you’ll come in and save him like a knight in… polka dotted armor.” Tikki giggled at the thought of Chat as a damsel in distress. She was sure that Plagg would be just as entertained. Okay. Maybe slightly less, since cheese took up a good portion of his attention.

“You’re right. It doesn’t help for me to freak myself out right now. I’ll just have to find out how he feels the next time I see him.” She smiled softly and hugged Tikki carefully.

“Thank you so much. Where would I be without you?”

“Hehe… You’d be a fabulously talented fashion designer. Oh wait! You already are!”

Marinette giggled at Tikki’s sweet words and set Tikki on the bed.

“Thank you, Tikki. You’re the absolute best. I’ll probably see Adrien tomorrow at the weekly dinner with Alya and Nino. I think Nino is cooking. Maybe I can get him to see Marinette like he sees Ladybug!”  
She turned off her lights and climbed into bed, cuddling the cat pillow close to her.

“Good night, Tikki.”

“Good night, Marinette!”

As she drifted to sleep, she imagined that she could see Chat’s green eyes twinkling at her mischievously.

“Good night, minou...

 


	2. Dinner with Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We get to spend some time with Chloe and see how the rest of the gang's doing! Oh, and Adrien's confused, as usual.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for taking the time to read that first chapter! Hope you enjoy the second one! I'm posting this a bit earlier than I expected, but I'm also probably going to take a while with the next chapter. Hope you all have a great Valentine's Day!

“ADRIKINSSS!!!!”

Adrien found his arm in the vice-like grip of his friend, Chloe. He supposed that he should call her his fiance, but the word just seemed to get stuck and he never found himself able to use it. He felt like he’d spent his whole morning moving through fog, not really aware of his surroundings and just doing what he was asked. Although that probably described his past month. The only time he really felt alive and aware, nowadays, was during the weekly dinners with Alya, Marinette, and Nino or during his time spent with Ladybug.

He was supposed to meet with them tonight and he had already sworn to himself that he would break the news of his wedding to them during dinner. Alya and Marinette probably wouldn’t appreciate the short notice since they’d have to get dresses prepared. And he was already expecting Nino to slug him on the shoulder since he would have to get his best man speech prepared on such short notice. There really wasn’t a good excuse for informing them so late… except that it didn’t really feel real until he told them and Ladybug. 

And maybe that’s what was weighing on him this morning. Well, that and Chloe, who continued to hang off of his arm and chatter about some problem that she was dealing with about the cake.

“And like, the baker told me that he refused to put together the cake I had designed! It was going to be absolutely gorgeous and trendsetting! A castle on top of the cake and you can walk into it! It will be perfect! How rude of him to refuse, after I bestowed the honor of hiring him to fulfill this. I fired him immediately and told him that I’d be telling daddy about how awful he was to us! We’re going to need to find someone else to make the cakes, but I’ve been calling around and all of them look simply plebeian. It just won’t do! I won’t have my special day ruined by this! Do you have any suggestions, Adrikins?”

“Umm… Chloe, why don’t you talk to the Dupain-Chengs? I’ve heard that they’re pretty well known for their pastries and cakes. Why don’t you give them a vague idea of what theme you’re looking for and see what they can do?”

Chloe gasped and leaned up to press a kiss to his cheek. Adrien barely refrained from flinching in response. His mind flashed to the stunned gaze that Ladybug had given him last night after he’d told her about the wedding. How did she feel about the news? Ha, how did she feel about Chat being Adrien Agreste? Despite getting to bed at a reasonable hour, he hadn’t slept at all. Worry and nervousness churned through him the entire night and left him tossing and turning, much to Plagg’s annoyance.

“Adrien, that’s a brilliant idea! Ughhh… If only it weren’t Marinette’s family… But whatever. I’ll get what I want, one way or another. Which reminds me! I’m just finishing up the guest list. Did you have anyone that you wanted to add?” She snapped her fingers and Sabrina hurried forward and handed a tablet to Chloe, who handed it off to Adrien.

“Take a look, dear. I think I got everyone important. Of course, Sabrina will be my maid of honor. Do you know who your best man shall be?” Adrien scanned through the list and sighed internally. There were about 3000 guests on the list. She did well, for the most part. There were only a few important names that she missed.

“Chloe, could you add Nino, Alya, and Marinette to the list? I’m planning to ask Nino if he will be my best man. Oh! And have a space open for one more person. I’m not sure of their attendance at the moment, but I want to make sure that they have a spot if necessary.”

Chloe arched an eyebrow imperiously. “Do we really need people like Marinette at our wedding? She’ll only bring us down. Her parents are bakers, for goodness sake. And who is this mystery person that you’re inviting?”

“Yes, we’re inviting Marinette, Alya, and Nino to the wedding. That’s non-negotiable. As for the mystery person? Don’t worry about it. I’ll take care of it.”

“Fine. Just make sure that they don’t do anything to ruin our day.” Chloe wrapped her arms around Adrien’s waist and peered up at him coyly. “After all, we are having the wedding of the century! Which reminds me! I should have a portrait done. Sabrina, make note of that and set up an appointment for me.”

Adrien resisted the urge to push Chloe away. He needed to get used to it. In a few weeks, they’d be married. Tied together for eternity. Even as he attempted to lift his mood, something seemed to sink in his stomach.

“I’m sure it will be fine. I really need to get going, Chloe. They insisted that they need to do a final check on my tuxedo. I’ll talk to you later. Bye!”

Chloe’s eyes narrowed and she watched as Adrien walked out of the room.

“Make sure everything is perfect. This wedding is happening. Adrien is mine and nobody will get in the way of that.” Sabrina nodded her agreement and the two of them stalked away.

 

**~ * ~    * ~ *    ~ * ~**

 

Adrien hadn’t questioned the need for a final fitting of his tuxedo before. Okay. Maybe he questioned it a little bit. His measurements were everywhere. How many times do you need to fit the tuxedo when you already know, for sure, the measurements of the person? In Adrien’s book, he thought one fitting should be enough, but he was used to fittings and who was he to object? It was only after he’d arrived that he realized why he was getting another fitting.

“No. I draw the line here. Chloe can have a billion other things for the wedding, but I am NOT switching out my tie with a giant blue flower. This looks ridiculous no matter how you look at it.”

“Monsieur Agreste, I can assure you that you looking quite handsome with the flower. Mademoiselle Bourgeois personally picked this with you in mind. I believe that she stated that the flower would match her eyes…”

“That’s great. Let her wear it. I will be wearing the green tie. She had insisted on the tie in the first place, in order to match my eyes and the spring theme or something like that. Change it back.”

“Of course, Monsieur Agreste. Perhaps there can be a compromise?”

Adrien sighed. He had been unusually harsh on the man and now the poor man looked to be shrinking in on himself. It wasn’t his fault that Chloe chose something atrocious and he didn’t deserve to be treated like this..

“Of course. My apologies for being so rude. Could you bring out a variety of blue ties, then? Let us see if we can find one that can match her eyes.”

The man visibly perked up. “Yes, Monsieur Agreste! I’ll come right back with a selection. I’m certain that you’ll find one that would work!”

“Thank you.” The man hurried out and Adrien slumped over immediately. He’d been on edge for the last month because of this wedding. Plagg peeked his head out of Adrien’s bag. He burst out into loud guffaws as he caught sight of the monstrous flower attached at Adrien’s throat. Disgusted, Adrien tugged the flower off and placed it on a nearby table.

“Remind me again why you’re going through with this wedding that you so obviously hate? Over the course of 5 years, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so out of sorts for so long. And I’ve been with you for your moody teenage years when you were mooning over Ladybug.”

“That’s just it. It’s been 5 years, Plagg. Nothing has changed between me and Ladybug. I’ve come to realize that nothing ever will. Don’t get me wrong. I will always love my lady and that will never, ever change. I’ll probably love her till my dying day. But if I can’t have her, then I can at least make someone else happy. My father asked me to marry Chloe. I know that Chloe pushed for it, but her family’s offering to use their connections to help my father’s company expand. And… honestly, I think that my father’s overjoyed by the thought of me getting married. He’s been reminiscing about his wedding with mother and it feels like we’ve gotten a little bit closer. That does make me happy. You know how distant my relationship is with my father. It’s been almost 7 years now and he’s still no closer to figuring out how to deal with mother’s disappearance. So… if this is what I have to do to make the most number of people happy, then I’ll do it. Maybe if things were different between me and Ladybug… but it’s pointless to think like that. Things are the way they are and we learn to live with it. So this is me living with it.”

Plagg rolled his eyes and shook his head. “Sounds like you’re just making yourself miserable. I don’t recommend it. But it’s your life. You’ll have to deal with the choices that you make. Like what type of cheese you choose. Brie and camembert are the finest of cheeses… mmmm… but whoever made that atrocity called ‘Kraft’ cheese should be burned at the stake! It’s disgusting!”

Adrien reached down and shoved Plagg back into the bag. “You don’t burn people at the stakes anymore. That was done hundreds of years ago. Go eat your cheese.”

With a weary sigh, Adrien stood back up. He tilted his head back and closed his eyes. Maybe he was making himself miserable, but if it meant making so many other people happy… he’d always choose that path. His father deserved some happiness and nobody else really understood Chloe. She clung to him because he was safe.

He took a deep breath and opened his eyes as the man bustled back in with an armful of blue ties in every possible shade. Only the years of training to be a “perfect” child helped him bite back the groan. This was going to take forever.

 

**~ * ~    * ~ *    ~ * ~**

 

Marinette knocked on the door to Alya and Nino’s apartment. They’d been living together for the past year and weekly dinners at their place had become a habit. The door flew open and Alya dragged Marinette in before slamming the door shut again.

“Mari. We have something important to talk about. Adrien needs an intervention.”

Marinette blinked at Alya in surprise.

“Wait, what?”

Alya gave an exasperated sigh. “Keep up, Mari! Adrien needs an intervention!”

“Okay… what exactly are we intervening in?”

Nino peeked into the hallway from the kitchen.

“Honey, I think you’re jumping in too fast. Explain what’s going on to Mari. Adrien will be here soon and the food is almost ready.” Alya took a deep breath and looked Marinette in the eye with a serious expression on her face.

“Nino says that he’s been down for the past month. Just sighing all the time. Apparently he kind of hides it when he comes over, but outside of that, he’s obviously having problems. We need to find out what’s going on with him!”

Well, it looked like Marinette would get a chance to see how Adrien felt about this wedding sooner than later.

“Okay! What’s the plan?”

A devious smile appeared on Alya’s face and Marinette almost felt bad for Adrien. “Well you see…”

A knock sounded, announcing Adrien’s arrival. Marinette swallowed hard and glanced at the door behind her. Nino appeared from the kitchen and nodded at Alya, giving her a thumbs up.

“Just go with it.” Marinette had no clue what that meant, but she nodded and allowed Alya to drag her over to the kitchen. Together they began to bring the food over to the dining table while Nino opened the door for Adrien. Her heart started to pound faster as she heard their voices come closer.

Marinette placed the last dish on the table and looked up to see Adrien walk in. Well, walk might be overstating things. Nino was behind him, shoving him forward towards one of the seats at the table.

“N-nino? What are you doing?”

“Just sit, man. We need to have a talk.” With that, Nino shoved him down into a seat. Alya sat down on Adrien’s left, Nino sat to his right, and Marinette was across from him. All three of them had serious expressions as they gazed at him.

Adrien looked around with wide eyes before letting out a nervous chuckle. “Ummm… so what are we talking about?”

Alya reached over and grabbed one of Adrien’s hands. “Adrien, you know you can tell us about anything that’s bothering you.”

Nino interjected, “And we know that something’s been bothering you. You look like you’ve been carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders for the last month. What’s going on?”

Marinette leaned forward, concern in her eyes. Adrien looked down and took a deep breath.

“I’m getting married.”

Silence. Adrien looked up to see Alya and Nino gaping at him. Across from him, Marinette’s blue eyes looked even more worried.

“Ummm… guys?”

Alya was the first to break out of her shocked state. “YOU’RE GETTING MARRIED?!!?! YOU WEREN’T EVEN SEEING ANYONE! WHO ARE YOU MARRYING? WHY IS THIS THE FIRST TIME THAT WE’RE HEARING ABOUT THIS? HAVE YOU KNOWN THIS FOR THE PAST MONTH?”

Adrien shrank back into his seat. “Ummm…”

“Alya. Chill for a moment. I’m sure there’s a reason why Adrien didn’t tell us. I KNOW that Adrien must have a very, VERY important reason.”

Marinette reached over and put a hand on Alya and Nino. “Guys. Calm down. Let Adrien speak.”

Adrien swallowed hard. “Well, my father arranged a marriage for me with Chloe. You remember Chloe? Yeah. Uhhh… we’re going to get married.” He was at a loss for words. What else COULD he say?

Marinette spoke softly, “Adrien, how do you feel about that? Is that what you want?” Her heart was pounding rapidly as she waited for his answer.

“I… I mean, I don’t mind. I like Chloe. She’s not a bad person and we’ve been friends since we were little.” Marinette’s heart sunk a little.

Alya sputtered out, “WHY would you choose to marry CHLOE? Adrien, you can’t tell me that you’re in love with Chloe! She’s rude and inconsiderate! You can’t be okay with this! What are you really feeling?!”

Nino jumped in, “Dude. I know you. You were in love with some other girl, weren’t you? What happened? Why’d you decide to do this suddenly? And why didn’t you tell us?! Come on, Adrien! We’re your friends!”

This seemed to push Adrien over the edge. He felt cornered and irritable after the whole day. Heck, the past month. And he lashed out.

“I didn’t choose this! If I could be with the girl I love, that’d be great! But she doesn’t want me! I’m not good enough for her.” Alya and Nino looked taken aback. The frustration drained from their faces, replaced by worry. Both watched Adrien intently as he continued.

“And… if I can’t have  _ her _ , then I’d rather that someone else got to be happy. So if marrying Chloe makes her happy and makes my father happy, then at least someone’s doing better.” He hunched over and his voice broke. “I wanted to tell you guys sooner, but… talking about it with you guys would make it feel more real. Too real. So I kept stalling.”

He looked up at Nino. “I’m really sorry for not telling you guys. It’s just… been a lot all at once.”

Nino shook his head and put his hand on Adrien’s shoulder. “Man, that’s what we’re here for. To help you deal with stuff when it’s too much. Have some faith in us. But I’ve gotta ask. Are you sure about marrying Chloe? I think you’re going to end up miserable if you head down that route. Besides, Chloe?” He shuddered. “I wouldn’t touch that one with a stick. You might need your head checked if you think that she’s your best choice.”

Alya jumped in. “I agree. She’s just a bully and you could do so much better! Think about this a little more, Adrien. Don’t rush in! I know that you want your dad to be happier, but this is not how you should do this! You shouldn’t have to sacrifice yourself for his happiness!”

Adrien sighed heavily, “You don’t understand. Chloe’s human too. She’s afraid of being alone, just like anybody else. And it’s probably a more real possibility for her than anybody else. Nobody else really understands her. She doesn’t know how to interact with people. I’m someone safe for her.”

Marinette leaned forward and clasped Adrien’s hand in hers. He was startled to feel her shaking slightly. “Adrien. You mentioned that you loved some other girl. If she did love you back, would you go for it?”

He looked into her eyes. He’d never really noticed how bright a blue they were. It felt like they compelled the truth from him, so he answered without thinking.

“Absolutely.”

She sucked in a deep breath and sat back. Adrien realized what he’d said and hurriedly corrected himself.

“Not that there’s a point in thinking about it. She… doesn’t see me like that and I’d never risk our friendship. She means too much to me, so it’s a moot point.”

“I see…” Marinette’s mind was whirling. She’d never taken Chat’s flirting seriously. Never really given him a chance, because she had been holding on for Adrien. It was like a cruel joke from the universe. For them to love each other… and yet distance themselves because of each other.

Adrien looked around at the three of them. “I really need you guys to be there for me. Please.”

Alya still looked a little concerned about him marrying Chloe, but both she and Nino immediately nodded. “Of course. We always have your back. That’s why you should’ve come to us when this first happened. But… that doesn’t mean that we’re not going to keep looking out for a way for you to be happy instead of giving up your happiness. And remember this: If you ever decide that you want out. That you don’t want to go through with it… call us. We’ll be there and whisk you away as soon as possible.”

Marinette walked around to Adrien’s side, still feeling a little unsteady. “Adrien… we’re always here to support you, whether you know it or not. You have more people that care for you than you could possibly know. Don’t forget us.”

Once again, Adrien felt himself being drawn into Marinette’s eyes. He found himself nodding, a faint flush creeping up his neck. It felt like Marinette could see through him. And yet… even after seeing both his good and bad sides, she was still standing there beside him. He didn’t know what else to do, so he looked down at the plate before him.

“So… is the food just for decoration, or can we eat?”

Nino laughed and shook his head. “Of course we can eat. We just wanted to get that out of the way first.”

Alya reached over and started scooping hearty servings of each dish onto Adrien’s plate.

“Alya! You do this every time and I keep telling you that I can’t eat that much!”

“Oh shush. You need to eat more. Your dad’s probably starving you as it is. Hey! If I fatten you up, maybe Chloe will ditch?”

Marinette giggled at the scene before her and went to sit back in her seat. She grinned and winked at Adrien. He looked startled, but smiled back at her.

“Alya’s right. If you don’t eat, you’ll just be skin and bones at your next photoshoot!”

“Hey! I look fine!”

All three of them laughed at Adrien’s indignation and soon he couldn’t help but join in as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading this! Feel free to leave me any comments or reviews! Have a great Valentine's Day and best wishes to you all!


	3. Realizations

When Adrien got to his apartment that night, he felt like he’d gone from being wrapped in a warm blanket to standing out in the snow. The warmth that he’d absorbed during dinner seemed to be fading and he felt more alone than ever. Before leaving Alya and Nino’s apartment, he had pulled Nino aside and asked him to be his best man. He felt overwhelmed by the response. Nino had wholeheartedly agreed and he could have sworn that he saw some tears welling up. It might have been a trick of the light, but knowing that Nino had his back was an amazing feeling. Plagg zipped out of the bag that he had brought with him to dinner.

“I need camembert stat. That wasn’t nearly enough to tide me over while you were pigging out.” Adrien rolled his eyes and headed towards his kitchen. For the most part, his kitchen looked like any normal kitchen… except for the fact that he had two fridges. In his defense, one of the fridges was for Plagg’s camembert. After a month of putting it in the same fridge, Adrien had grown tired of all of his food stinking from the cheese.

He paused and looked over at Plagg. “Do you think I’m doing the wrong thing? Is it so wrong to want people to be happy?”

Plagg flew up to look Adrien in the eye. He was rarely ever serious, too focused on camembert to really care about the intricacies of human lives. But Adrien always took his advice to heart when Plagg did get serious.

“Kid… I think that you’re being a martyr here. Essentially sacrificing your happiness for your father and Chloe. Maybe you and Ladybug aren’t meant to be, but I think that there’s someone for you that is much closer to home. And you’re too busy being a martyr to see her. Chloe’s a brat. Don’t think that I don’t see your reaction when you think about being married to her.” Adrien flinched. “There. That reaction. Your ‘sacrifice’ isn’t something that your mother would want. And your father wants what’s best for you, even if he has a crappy way of showing it. If he wasn’t so dense, he’d see that this was making you miserable. Ladybug wouldn’t want you to be this miserable either. Think about it. For the next week, why don’t you look around you. Really look around and see the people that are there for you. Now… I need more cheese. You only gave me 2 wheels in that bag.”

Adrien rolled his eyes and walked over to Plagg’s fridge, pulling out 2 more wheels of cheese for the little glutton. As Plagg shoveled down the cheese, Adrien pondered his words. Maybe Plagg was right… Alya, Marinette, and Nino all had said the same thing as well. It was worth thinking about.

_ I think that there’s someone for you that is much closer to home. _

Who did he mean? He closed his eyes, thinking about all of his friends and acquaintances. None of them seem- A pair of intense blue eyes flashed in his mind. Marinette? He’d almost been startled by Marinette’s reactions tonight. When they were younger, she had hardly been able to speak to him. During her internship with his father, he noticed that she seemed to grow more confident in herself and that she stuttered less. But tonight had been like he was seeing a completely different Marinette.

Had she always been like that? While Alya and Nino had seemed like very concerned friends, Marinette had seemed like… something more. He couldn’t really explain it and quite frankly, it baffled him. Maybe he was overthinking things. He put it aside and got ready for bed.

But as he was falling asleep, he kept seeing a pair of concerned blue eyes flash through his dreams.

 

**~ * ~    * ~ *    ~ * ~**

 

A few miles away, those same blue eyes held a look far more frantic than concerned.

“What do I do?! What do I DO? I… I love him. Holy cow, I love him. But, he’s getting married! And he SAYS that he would walk away from the wedding if I returned his affections, but what if he was just saying that! What if he’s disappointed that I’M Ladybug? He’d probably flee from me and sprint to get married to Chloe instead! And then he’ll leave me alone and never talk to me again, as Ladybug or Marinette! And-”

“MARINETTE! BREATHE!” Tikki rushed forward with a pillow, letting it go and allowing it to collide with Marinette’s face. She usually didn’t resort to violence, but Marinette had been freaking out about this situation for the past hour. Her prior attempts at calming Marinette had resulted in a minute of silence before the situation sunk in again and Marinette went back to freaking out. It hadn’t helped that Alya had called Marinette out after dinner, once Adrien had left, demanding an explanation for her lack of reaction to Adrien’s announcement. Well, that and what those sudden intimate moments were about.

Marinette had been mortified and panicked. The past 24 hours had given her no time to deal with her feelings and all of the sudden revelations that had shaken her world. How could she even begin explaining things to Alya? Just remembering how fragile Marinette had been during her conversation with Alya made Tikki wince. She hated seeing her chosen broken down like this.

 

“Marinette?! What was that? You and Adrien! The whole eye contact thingy! You guys had a MOMENT!”

“A-alya… umm… I don’t know. It wasn’t really a moment. Could you classify that as a moment? I just… I just wanted to comfort him. He looked so distraught.” Marinette fiddled with the hem of her shirt and peeked up at Alya. “I didn’t know what to do. I love him… but he’s getting married and it’s so complicated now.”

Alya reached over and enfolded Marinette in a hug. “Sweetie, it’s okay… I know you’ve gotta be hurting right now, but it’ll be okay. And Marinette… That was a moment. We ALL recognized that it was a moment. A BIG moment. Don’t even try to deny it!”

Marinette nodded, hugging Alya tightly. “I think… I just need to go home and think it over. I’m… I don’t know what I’m going to do now, Alya. Maybe it was a moment, but… “ Her voice cracked and she blinked back tears, “I really think I just need to go home for now.”

Alya pulled away and looked her in the eye. “Okay… but I want you to give me a call when you need to talk. Not if. When. Promise me?”

“Of course.” Marinette gave her a small smile and hugged Alya again. “Thank you so much for always being there for me.”

Alya grinned. “Of course. I’m ready and willing to do whatever you need to win back your boy! Besides, who else would deal with me when I gush about Ladybug and Chat? And…” Alya raised an eyebrow. “Don’t think that I missed how unsurprised you were about Adrien’s news… You’re going to explain that one to me too someday.”

Eyes widening, Marinette barely restrained a gulp at the words. There were days where Alya’s observational skills just made her life ten times more difficult.

  
  


Tikki sighed as she watched Marinette cling to the pillow with only her eyes visible. She hovered in front of Marinette and tilted her head.

“Are you okay? Do you want to talk it out? You’ve been running yourself ragged for the last hour or so…”

“I love him, Tikki.” Marinette whispered softly. “Even as Adrien, I can see some of the Chat in him. It’s really him.” Her breath hitched. “He’s getting married, Tikki. It’s too late. And it’s all my fault. If I had allowed us to share our identities sooner. Or even just told him how I felt… Tikki… it hurts so badly now.”

Tikki floated over to nuzzle Marinette’s cheek. “I know it hurts. But you’re wrong if you think it’s too late. It’s only too late when you’ve given up.”

“What do you mean? He’s getting married and there’s no way to stop it…” Marinette frowned and hunched in on herself, cradling the pillow.

“Are you sure? They’re not married yet, Marinette. Until they are pronounced man and wife, there’s a chance. The question is if you’re willing to work to achieve your happy ending. Are you? Or will you let him go? I’ll support you either way, Marinette.”

Marinette buried her face into the pillow and pondered Tikki’s words. Could she let Adrien go? Let Chat go? Her stomach churned at the thought and she felt a chill rush through her. Well, she supposed that answered her question. But what could she do?

Not to mention… he said that he loved Ladybug, but could he love Marinette just as much? She wasn’t flashy or brave in her day to day life. Sure, she was talented with her designs, but Adrien was surrounded by talented fashion designers day in and day out. It was hardly something that would impress him. She wasn’t particularly beautiful, although she’d never go as far as saying she was ugly. She was relatively normal looking, but that was all. There was no reason for Adrien to love her as her civilian self. And that scared her.

She’d finally admitted it. No matter how she turned the problem over in her mind, she couldn’t bring herself to see Adrien loving normal Marinette. And that was the crux of the problem. Even if she went to Adrien and told him that she loved him, he’d be looking at Ladybug. Sure, Ladybug was a part of her, but it certainly wasn’t all of her. Marinette would take a backseat to everything. She had too much pride in herself to allow that to happen. So where did that leave her?

“Tikki… He loves Ladybug, not me. I love all of him, but if he doesn’t love all of me it’s doomed anyways. What can I do? I don’t want to let him go… but he’s slipping away so quickly.”

“Marinette, I cannot tell you what to do. This is your life and you have to live it. All I can say is that there is no reward without hard work and risk. The pain will fade eventually. Time has a habit of doing that. Knowing that, will you put your heart at risk for the possibility of greater happiness? Or will you protect yourself now and let him go? This does not have a right or wrong answer. Life is not like that. 

You’re a superhero and as such, you tend to deal in black and white, right and wrong. Akumas are bad and so they must be cleansed. But life colors things in gray. And not just one tone of gray, but every tint of gray between white and black. It’s rare to see something be truly black and white. When you look at a world like that, the most important thing is to make sure you do not end up regretting something. Because pain will fade, but regrets have a way of haunting you.”

Marinette peered up at her kwami. “Sometimes I forget that you’ve lived for so long. But then you give me these deep pieces of wisdom and it hits me just how much experience you have.” She sighed. “Can I… sleep on it? I feel like all of this information is swirling around in my head and I just can’t get a handle on it.”

“Of course. Think about it tonight. I’d usually tell you that you have time to decide, but that’s not true. Adrien’s wedding is in two weeks. So while you shouldn’t rush your decision, you do need to decide quickly.” Tikki came over to cuddle Marinette’s cheek before flitting away to the plate of cookies that sat on the bedside table.

Marinette crawled into bed, still clutching the pillow to her.  _ The pain will fade eventually… pain will fade, but regrets have a way of haunting you. _ Regrets, huh? She was certainly experiencing that. Over the past 5 years, there were countless opportunities to tell Adrien that she loved him. Even more chances, since she now knew that he was Chat. And now that it had come to this, it felt like she had wasted valuable time. Time that she could have spent with him. Getting to know him better, laughing together, and supporting each other. Maybe a romantic relationship could have come out if she’d said yes during one of the million times that Chat asked to know who her alter ego was. Regrets. This past day, she had become very well acquainted with regrets.

She swallowed hard as the weight of her upcoming decision settled around her. The path she took would decide if she had more regrets. If she didn’t take the risk and didn’t tell Adrien about her feelings… would she regret that? Would that become one of the “what ifs” that haunt her in the future?

But what if she did risk it? She’d be putting her partnership with Chat, her friendship with Adrien, her HEART on the line. Goosebumps rippled down her arms and she shivered. This was something that would really impact her life. If she took this risk, everything could change. If he rejected her, patrols and fights would be so much more difficult. Fights that put their lives at risk even when they were completely coordinated and in sync. Out of sync… things could become fatal.

Tikki’s words echoed in her head.  _ There is no reward without hard work and risk. _ All of those things could happen. That was the risk. But the rewards… She’d imagined life with Adrien so many times before. Add in that he was also her best friend and partner, their life could be far better than she’d ever imagined. She took in a deep breath, holding it in for a few seconds before letting it out slowly.

When she weighed the risk and reward, it seemed foolish not to give it a try. She still didn’t know what she could do, but maybe Tikki could help her come up with a plan. A chuckle slipped out because she knew that Alya would get involved somehow. Her friend was too perceptive to hide this from and she knew that Alya could provide her with some great ideas and help as well.

Feeling much calmer than before, she nuzzled into the cat pillow and closed her eyes. Now that her decision was made, she felt lighter. The weight of her decision no longer pressed down on her. Instead, her decision comforted her. She had set a course for herself and she was determined to succeed. Her mouth curved into a small smile as she dreamed of a future with the boy she loved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Any comments or feedback is welcome!
> 
> Lol We got to see serious and responsible Plagg! Tikki's always so supportive, but I feel like after living so long, Plagg has to have his moments too.


	4. Dresses, Tuxes, and Pests

On a typical Saturday, Marinette would usually be found sleeping in until 11. It was the one day that she allowed herself to rest and be lazy. The rest of the week was filled with her internship with Gabriel Agreste at  _ Gabriel _ and her superhero duties. However, sleeping in was not an option for Marinette that morning.

“OWWWWW!”

“Marinette! You have to get up! Alya’s coming by in an hour! Did you forget that you promised to go with her to get her dress? If Alya catches you sleeping, this wake-up call will be painless by comparison!” Tikki called frantically, still chucking small items at Marinette. 

“Okay, okay… Geez… don’t throw the computer mouse at me again! That hurt!”

“Well, I tried nudging you awake and calling your name, then I threw small pillows, then I threw BIG pillows… You refused to wake up!”

Despite her desire to burrow further into her blankets and pillows, she knew that Tikki was right. If Alya came by and found her still asleep, she’d probably be hurled out of bed and thrown into the whirlwind that is Alya. Marinette dragged herself out of bed, scrubbing the sleep out of her eyes instead of succumbing to the temptation to dive back under her covers. 

Only the threat of Hurricane Alya prevented her from going back to sleep. Stifling a yawn, she headed to her bathroom to brush her teeth. Once she had finished, she trudged over to her closet and pulled out a spring green sundress, laying it across her bed. Towards the back of her closet, she found a pair of strappy, white sandals and placed these next to her bed.  She stepped into the dress, getting Tikki’s assistance with the back zipper, and went back to the bathroom to do her hair and make-up.

A couple of years ago, she had abandoned her pigtails for a more professional look. Although she would occasionally pull her hair back into pigtails while she was working at home, her go-to nowadays was a half ponytail. It allowed her to work with her hair out of her eyes, but remained partially loose and accentuated her face. With her hair fixed and some light make-up done, she slid into her sandals and went out to her kitchen to grab breakfast.

Munching on a croissant from her parents’ bakery, she grabbed some fruit, yogurt, and juice to complete her breakfast. A quick glance up at the clock told her that Alya would be there in 20 minutes. That left her some time to finish her food and do a quick check to make sure that she had everything. She grabbed her purse, tucking a few cookies in there, and beckoning Tikki into the bag.

She’d also gotten fed up with her normal bags and decided to make one for herself. Her final design had a small compartment for Tikki that could be covered and made discreet when opened and also a small pocket for cookies. The pocket had a removable lining so that she could easily shake out any cookie crumbs from within. On top of all of this, it still had space for her wallet, phone, and a small sketch pad for whenever inspiration struck.

Her phone chimed as a text from Alya appeared.  _ I’ll be outside in a minute! You’d better be ready or I’m coming up to get you! _ Marinette rolled her eyes, thankful for Tikki’s wake up call this morning. She tucked her phone into her purse, grabbed her keys and purse, then headed out to meet Alya.

Outside, Alya had pulled up to the curb and was waiting for Marinette to get into the car. Marinette couldn’t help but laugh when she saw Alya waving excitedly. She hurried over and sat in the passenger seat beside Alya.

“So Alya, where are we going to look for your dress?”

“Well, normally I’d ask you to make it. Your designs are just as great as any of those high end, fancy-shmancy designers! But given that a certain someone…” Her cough sounded a lot like Adrien’s name… “A certain someone neglected to give us enough warning for this stupid wedding, I’ll have to go buy one. At least Adrien offered to pay for the dress. I’d normally turn him down, but he said that his father and Chloe insist that any friends that he invites have to be dressed ‘appropriately’. Anyways, Adrien recommended a few stores that should have the kinds of dresses that I need. You’re designing your own dress, aren’t you? Ugh… I hope that your dress outshines Chloe’s!”

“Uhhhh… Alya, Chloe’s the b-bride… That’d be kind of hard to do, unless I’m planning to waltz in with a wedding dress as well.”

Alya frowned. “I guess you’re right. I hate that she’s doing this to Adrien. Did you see him last night? Poor boy was on the edge of a breakdown! By the way… how’re you feeling? You had the night to think it over, right?”

“Yeah. I still don’t know what I’m going to do, but I think…” Marinette took a deep breath, “I don’t want to have any regrets about this in the future. I haven’t decided what to do yet, but I do need to find out how he feels.”

The car suddenly swerved, much to Marinette’s horror. Alya squealed and looked over at her, “YOU’RE FINALLY GOING AFTER HIM! Girl, I will support you all the way! Just tell me what you need!” Alya reached her hands out to grasp one of Marinette’s hands.

“ALYA KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE ROAD AND HANDS ON THE STEERING WHEEL! I DON’T WANT TO DIE!” Marinette screamed and lunged for the steering wheel, trying to correct the course.

“Okay, okay! We’re fine! Nobody died and you’re finally going after your man! This is wonderful!” Alya finally took hold of the steering wheel with both hands, much to Marinette’s relief.

“Alya, why don’t we get to the shop first before we talk more about this. I do love you to death, but that doesn’t mean that I’m ready for death quite yet!”

Alya rolled her eyes and heaved an exasperated sigh, “Well fine, just ruin the fun! But we’re having a major plotting session while we shop, okay? THERE’S NO ESCAPE FOR YOU!”

Despite the terror of moments ago, Marinette chuckled, “Thanks, Alya.”

 

**~ * ~    * ~ *    ~ * ~**

 

“There’s gotta be another way.”

“I’m telling you there isn’t! Chloe wants white tuxedos for the groomsmen. I’m sorry, but that’s what she wants.”

“On top of having to stand beside your other groomsmen who, if I may add, are ALL models…” Adrien winced as Nino continued his argument, “Now I have to wear a white tux too? No way! Even I know that I’d look terrible in a white tux! Besides, black’s just classy. Come on! Pull some strings here and fix it!”

“I don’t think so! I’m just grateful that I escaped the white tux!” Adrien snickered.

“I don’t buy it. You know what? We’ll go ask the girls what they think! I want a second opinion on this and Marinette’s got better fashion sense than you do anyways.”

“I’m not arguing with that, but I don’t think that you’re going to be saved. At the end of the day, you’ve still got Chloe to deal with.”

Nino groaned, “Oh god… I’m doomed, aren’t I?”

“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you!” Adrien rolled his eyes and shrugged. “If you really want the second opinion though, you can ask the girls. At the very least, Alya needs to be warned that you’re wearing a white tux. I think she’ll need to figure out how to match you.”

Nino’s shoulders slumped at the thought of breaking the news to his girlfriend. She was NOT going to be pleased…

 

**~ * ~    * ~ *    ~ * ~**

 

“Sweetie, I love seeing you all dressed up, but a white tux just isn’t gonna cut it.”

Nino flashed a triumphant look at Adrien, who just shrugged. “Adrien’s trying to make me wear one even though I TOLD him it’d be a terrible idea!”

Alya turned to look at Adrien incredulously, “You told him that this was a good idea?”

Adrien’s eyes widened, “No! I definitely did not! But Chloe wants all of the groomsmen to be dressed in white tuxedos! I can’t really argue with her!”

Sharp blue eyes narrowed on him as he spoke. “So this isn’t your wedding too?” Adrien gaped at Marinette’s demand. He never really had Marinette argue with him before… but it was weird because she wasn’t really mad at him. If anything, she seemed angry FOR him. He could feel his emotions churning in his chest and despite scolding himself, he just couldn’t make it stop.

It was odd. Just talking to her made him feel… comfortable? He’d never really thought about it before, but Marinette never judged him. Occasionally, she would make a remark if she thought he was wrong, but the comments were never unwarranted or rude. More often, she was angry on his behalf, over things that he’d gotten used to in his daily life. 

For the most part they were things that he tried to avoid thinking about, like his father cancelling dinner with him to go speak with clients. In the past these things hurt for him to dwell on, so he’d made the decision to stop. But somehow, Marinette’s reaction always made him feel warm, safe even. He really couldn’t explain it, but he always ended up feeling just a little bit happier afterwards.

Was this what Plagg meant? He watched Marinette curiously and she seemed to shrink under his gaze. Her face flushed and she looked away, as if she realized that she had just scolded him. It was kind of… well, cute to be perfectly honest. He could feel his face start to heat up and his hand rose to rub the back of his neck.

“I-I mean… It IS my wedding, but this is really more of Chloe’s dream wedding than mine. It means much more to her, so I’d like it to work out how she wants it.”

Alya sighed, “Fine. But keep in mind that I’m only dealing with the white tux as a favor to you, Adrien. Do you know what kind of tie he’s supposed to wear?”

“Ummm… I think it’s just going to be a black tie.”

“Thank god. At least Chloe has a little sense. Ughh… Knowing her, she was probably really close to suggesting a ‘green tie to match to color of your eyes,  Adrikins!’” Alya shuddered, but her impersonation brought on amused laughter from Nino and Marinette. Adrien avoided Alya’s eyes, trying not to recall Chloe’s demand for the hideous blue flower around his neck. “It’s not THAT funny! You know that’s exactly how it’d be!”

Adrien struggled to defend Chloe, “I mean… she doesn’t… it’s not THAT bad!” 

He looked to Nino for help, but only got a shrug in response, “Dude, I can’t help you. She is that bad.” 

Alya grinned triumphantly, then grabbed Marinette’s hand. “Anyways, we’ll go with it for your sake, Adrien. But Marinette’s gonna help me pick out a few dresses. We’ll come out and show you guys when we’re done!”

Marinette found herself being dragged towards the hallway. Several doors lined the hall, leading to changing rooms where the attendants would bring dresses for their customers to try. They entered the nearest one and Alya rang for an employee to come by. A minute later, a blonde woman entered the room.

“Hello mademoiselles. Is there anything that I can help you with today?”

Alya considered Nino’s white tux and sighed, “I need something that will match a white tuxedo with a black tie. I’m attending a wedding in a week.”

“Ahhh… I see. Very well. I shall bring over a few options for you to choose from.” The woman bowed slightly and hurried out of the room. After she left, Alya spun around to look at Marinette.

“So? What’s your plan?”

“My plan?”

“FOR ADRIEN! Come on, girl! Get your head in the game! You’re not going to get anywhere if you don’t do something!” She turned as the attendant returned with an armful of dresses, but kept an eye on Marinette in the mirror.

“I… I don’t know yet. I just know that I finally need to do something. Something big and something fast! I love Adrien so much and I couldn’t stand it if he got married to Chloe without knowing about my feelings.”

 

**~ * ~    * ~ *    ~ * ~**

 

While the girls went to choose some dresses, Adrien was being assaulted. Okay, maybe assault was a bit harsh, but he wasn’t sure how else to describe being pounced on by Chloe.

“ADRIKINSSSS! I missed you!” Her arms clamped tightly around him as she firmly grabbed ahold of his shirt, ensuring that he couldn’t escape.

“Chloe? I just saw you yesterday. What are you doing here?” Adrien flashed a glance at Nino, silently begging for help. To his disgust, Nino was choking back laughter and studiously avoiding Adrien’s eyes. Off to the side, Sabrina watched Chloe and Adrien with starry eyes, clearly interpreting the scene to be more romantic than it was.

“Me? I was just looking for a dress! Didn’t I tell you?! I’m going to get my portrait done by Eden! It’ll be the perfect celebratory gift to us for our wedding!” 

“Ummm… That’s great? I don’t know who Eden is, but I’m sure it’ll look wonderful,” Adrien replied despite his confusion.

“Eden! You know, THE Eden Dreiak? That amazing up-and-coming artist?”

“Oh! Eden Dreiak? He really creates some fantastic paintings, but I didn’t think that he did portraits.”

“Oh! He doesn’t! But I just HAD to have one, so I contacted his manager and told them what was going on! So OF COURSE he made an exception and decided to do the portrait for me!” She smiled and tossed her hair back, “Everyone loves me! But don’t worry, Adrikins. Nobody will steal me away from you!”

Adrien had to look away from Chloe’s simpering expression as Nino pretended to gag at Chloe’s words. “I see. I guess I’ll look forward to that. I’m here with Nino right now. We were going to get his tux, but decided to stop by and let Alya know that Nino’s wearing the white tux.”

Chloe scowled at Nino, “Ugh, you can’t go and get a tuxedo on your own? You really shouldn’t make Adrien help you with simple things like this.”

Nino glared at her and opened his mouth to retort, but Adrien cut in before the two could create a scene, “Chloe, it’s really my fault. I didn’t give Nino enough warning about the wedding, so I’m helping him get his tuxedo. It’s fine, really. Thanks for worrying, Chloe.”

“Hmph! Since Adrien is so gracious enough to assist you, I suppose it’s okay. Anyways, I’m just going to go find the dress that I want for my portrait! Good-bye, dear Adrikins!” She leaned up and pressed a kiss to Adrien’s lips before strolling away towards the dress section. With a snap of her fingers, she beckoned Sabrina over, leaving her stunned and pale fiance behind.

“I really deserve a dress that showcases me”, Chloe declared as she flicked through some sample dresses. “Ooh. I really like this one. Sabrina, have someone bring one of these over in my size. I’ll be in the dressing room.”

As Sabrina scurried off to find an employee, Chloe went to claim the largest changing room available. She passed by a few of the smaller rooms, only to stop when she heard some familiar voices. Her face twisted into a grimace as she recalled her Adrikins mentioning that Alya and Marinette were here as well. 

Those two always managed to aggravate her and ruin her day. She’d already resigned herself to the idea of them attending the wedding. There was nothing she could do about Alya since she was Nino’s date and Nino was the best man. As for Marinette… she was hoping she could get away with assigning her to a far back corner for the banquet, so that she wouldn’t have to see her. Maybe she could tell security to make sure that Marinette wasn’t allowed to come within 15 yards of her.

Despite all of that, she was determined that they wouldn’t ruin today. She was getting a fabulous dress, the best up-and-coming artist was painting her portrait, and she was set to marry her dear Adrikins soon. Nothing could ruin this.

Or so she thought. She froze in her tracks over the next thing she heard..

“Marinette, I know you love Adrien. Our entire high school class knew it! That’s beside the point and honestly, was never even in question. The question is what are you going to do? He’s marrying Chloe in just over a week.”

“I know! I know! I need to win him over before the wedding. Do you think I should just come straight out and confess? Just tell him my feelings and that I don’t want him to go through with the wedding?”

Chloe mouth dropped. How dare they?! They were plotting to steal HER fiance from her! 

“Wow, Marinette. That’s so bold of you!”

“Noooo… I can’t do that! I’d just go back to being a nervous wreck in front of him!”

Ohhh… Chloe could help if Marinette wanted to be a wreck. She had plenty of ways of helping! Like getting daddy to pull some strings and get her fired from her internship! It wasn’t fair for Marinette to interfere in Chloe’s life, especially when everything was JUST coming together!

No! Marinette wanted to ruin the wedding and Chloe absolutely would not allow that! Regardless of what Adrien said, Marinette Dupain-Cheng would no longer be allowed to attend the wedding. Adrien didn’t know just how scheming and hurtful the outside world could be and Chloe was determined to protect him. She’d be discreet, but there was no way that Marinette was going to be permitted anywhere near the wedding if Chloe could help it!

“Looks like my schedule’s going to be just a tad bit busier this week. I now have to add ‘warning off pests’ to my to-do list.” Chloe smiled coldly and continued past the changing room where Alya and Marinette continued to discuss their plans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again for reading! I'd really love any comments or feedback on the story! Hope you guys are excited for the next chapter. I'll be introducing a new character! Thanks again!


	5. Tyto

“Alya… are you serious?”

“Absolutely.”

“You understand how ridiculous that sounds, right?”

“Mhmmm, but this is your only chance.”

“Ughhh… I hate it when you’re right.”

“Pfffft, I’m always right”, Alya smirked and cocked her hip.

“Again, I hate it when you’re right”, Marinette chuckled and took a deep breath. “Okay. So you’re saying that I need to date Adrien… without him knowing… and make him fall in love with me in the next week and a half. Yup. Still sounds crazy to me.”

Alya huffed and crossed her arms, “Well, you tell me a better idea then! You only have so much time. You can’t afford to take it slow and easy, so I say you just hang out with him as much as possible and steal his heart!”

“Steal? That sounds awful… I don’t want to take it if he doesn’t want to give it. That’s not real then.” Marinette wrinkled her nose as she considered Alya’s words. She and Alya were sitting on a couch inside the changing room. They’d finished looking for dresses and Alya was determined to have Marinette’s plan to win Adrien over settled before they went back outside to meet the boys.

“Fine! Not steal! Another word then. Either way, you’re trying to make him fall in love with you and ditch the wedding, right?”

“Okay, okay! I already admitted that you were right anyways. Does that mean that you and Nino will help me out with this?”

“Of course! What kind of friends do you take us for?!” Alya scoffed.

Before Marinette could respond, a loud, piercing wail sounded from both of their phones. Alya hastily grabbed her phone, reading the notification that had popped up. She glanced at Marinette and shoved the dress that they had chosen into her arms. 

“Take this over to Adrien and Nino for me! I’ve gotta catch this for the Ladyblog! Tyto’s been spotted at the library! They have a new display there, so maybe she stole something from it! Anyways, Ladybug and Chat Noir are bound to be on the scene soon! Thanks Mari! Bye!” With that, Alya rushed from the changing room, still tugging her jacket on.

Quite used to Alya's behavior, Marinette gathered her stuff and hurried out to hand the dress over to Nino. After a few months of Hawkmoth’s akuma attacks, the city had developed a system to alert its citizens of supernatural attacks. The alerts warned citizens to head indoors and be wary, but most importantly, informed where the disturbance was. Thus the system turned out to be helpful for Ladybug and Chat Noir, enabling the duo to find the akuma faster. After Hawkmoth had been defeated, other supervillains began to reveal themselves, so the need for an alert system remained.

Their current foe, Tyto, was proving to be the most challenging yet. In addition to having a Miraculous, Tyto was incredibly cunning. Had Tyto appeared as their first nemesis instead of Hawkmoth, she wasn't sure that they would have won the battle. Every fight was demanding and depended upon the strong partnership that she’d built with Chat over the years. However, the years had refined the bond between her and Chat and oftentimes they could determine a plan with a few well chosen gestures.

She found Nino standing near the register by himself. “Hey Nino! This is the dress that Alya wants. Could you go hold onto it? I lost my phone, so I’m headed to the Lost and Found to see if someone’s turned it in.”

“Uhhh… Sure! Should I just pay for it then? Adrien gave me his credit card before he left. He said something about forgetting to pick up his tux? I guess he said he’d be right back after he got it.” Nino took the dress from Marinette and waved her off. “You go ahead and find your phone. I’ll be waiting here for Adrien.”

Relieved, Marinette gave him a quick hug and darted out of the store. She quickly found an empty alley and opened her purse to let Tikki out.

“Tikki! Spots on!” The red swirl of her transformation swept up her body, leaving behind her spotted suit. Even after 5 years, the magic of it made her a little giddy. Smiling to herself, she flung her yo-yo out and swung up to the rooftop of the shop. She could already hear explosions coming from the direction of the library. As she made her way to the scene of the explosions, she scanned her surroundings, searching for Chat.

She was sure that Adrien’s excuse to go pick up his tuxedo was to allow him to change into Chat Noir. It was surprisingly refreshing to not have to worry that Adrien would be caught up in the fight, unable to defend himself. It was still going to be nerve-wracking, but at least she only had to worry about one person instead of two. Up ahead, she spotted a black figure crouched upon a rooftop, taking in their enemy. When they were younger, Chat would’ve just charged straight in without thinking too much. However, Tyto required a different approach. Recklessness with her was liable to get you killed.

 

**~ * ~    * ~ *    ~ * ~**

 

Chat sized up Tyto from his hiding spot. She was slender with a brown bob cut. The color of her suit matched her hair, except for a white stripe down the center which was spotted black to look like the underbelly of an owl. She also had a skirt of feathers, which was parted in the front, allowing for freedom of movement. The feathers were longer in the back, giving the image of an owl’s tail. The mask, which not only obscured her eyes, but covered her nose completely, finished the appearance of a majestic barn owl.

  
She wore a belt with a buckle shaped like a crescent moon. On one side of the buckle was a white marble, the other side a black one. These were dangerous weapons which she manipulated using her mind. As much as he and Ladybug patrolled, they never came across any civilian with Tyto's Miraculous: a thin, metal bracelet with an image of the moon on it. During their fights with Tyto, he and Ladybug had noticed that in the same way that the spots on Ladybug’s earrings disappeared, the bracelet faded from full moon to new moon after the use of her power. Even after so many battles, they only had theories on what Tyto’s power was. He thought that it showed her a way to escape, but Ladybug felt that it was more than that. When he’d pressed her for details, she’d admitted that she had no evidence to really back it up and so didn’t wish to share a baseless hypothesis. However, Chat had a feeling that Ladybug was probably very close to guessing what the power was. His Lady didn’t make wild guesses and she was right far more often than not.

His time as the wielder of the black cat Miraculous had shown him that there were all sorts of Miraculous out there. Master Fu showed him the ones that were currently in his possession as one of the Guardians, but he’d also mentioned that there were a total of seven Guardians. Each had their own boxes with varying types of Miraculous within. Each box was themed in a certain direction and together, the seven balanced each other out.

While the Guardians did their best to ensure that the Miraculous stayed safe and were used by well intentioned people, sometimes a Miraculous was lost or stolen. While the Miraculous in general were in danger of theft, this was even more true of the Miraculous that they held. According to Master Fu, their Miraculous were unique because of the way they work together and balance each other.

A year ago, Tyto had appeared in Paris claiming to be a collector and a knowledge-seeker, however she was extremely ruthless. Incredibly intelligent, she had broken into some of the tightest security in the city. Given the rarity of his and Ladybug’s Miraculouses, she was also set on adding them to her collection and exploring what their limits were. Her modus operandi (he was proud of himself for working his Latin homework into his day-to-day life) was to infiltrate and steal whatever she needed, then walk out the front door of the building, defeating anything that stood in her way. From what he and Ladybug could figure out, everything that she did had more than one reason behind it. She challenged security as she exited because she enjoyed pitting herself against them, but also as a ploy to draw him and Ladybug out. She held no regard for the lives of innocents, claiming that they weren’t worthy of her attention because they couldn’t match wits with her. 

If Chat was perfectly honest with himself, he wouldn’t have survived this long without Ladybug. She was incredible, developing plans on the spot to counter Tyto’s deviousness. Despite how difficult the fights were, he had complete faith in his Lady. Oh. Ladybug. This was the first time that he’d see her since he’d revealed himself.

He swallowed hard and his stomach dropped. Maybe it was cowardly of him to have fled that night, but he didn’t think he could bear it if she was somehow disappointed in his identity. Lost in his thoughts, he didn’t register Ladybug approaching until she landed right beside him. He tripped backwards, almost falling off of the roof, but a red-covered hand reached out and grabbed his wrist. Blue eyes stared at him, concern clear in her eyes.

“Chat? You okay?”

“Y-yeah. I’m fine. Just fine. Perfectly normal. No problems here. At all. All good.” A flush covered his face as he looked away. He didn’t even know why he was like this. Well, he knew. Telling her his identity was a big deal. A huge deal. They’d been through so much, but he felt exposed now. As much as he wanted to claim that he’d accept his identity, he really wasn’t sure. He was such a… public figure. And models had a bad reputation for being airheads. Not only was he a model, he was Gabriel Agreste’s son. That carried a weight in and of itself. He was known to be famous and wealthy. After making friends with Nino, Alya, and Marinette, he now realized that most people assumed that he’d be a spoiled brat just living off of his father’s money. He didn’t want Ladybug to think that! There was all of this information out there about him… and he had none about her. Sure, he knew her favorite color, that she had a sweet tooth, and that she had a crush on someone else… Every time he recalled that fact, he felt his heart crack ever so slightly. But recalling these things just told him how much he didn’t know, a point that was made even clearer now that his identity had been revealed.

She pulled him to his feet, frowning slightly, “You sure, kitty? You know we’re in for a fight here.”

He nodded hurriedly, “I’m fine. Actually, I’m just purr-fect. No need to worry about me, my Lady! I’ve got your back!”

A soft smile graced her lips. He didn’t think he’d ever seen that smile on her before. It felt warm and comforting, like how a real home might feel like. He shook his head. This wasn’t the time. Not only were they about to clash with Tyto, he was engaged to be married. Any feelings that he had for Ladybug needed to be let go. He could almost hear Plagg laughing at him. As if it was that easy. 

“I know. You’ve always got my back, kitty. Thanks,” she murmured quietly. And that right there was why it was almost impossible to get over her. His heart stuttered and he pulled away from her, looking back at Tyto.

“So? Do you have a plan, bugaboo?” He tried to toss the words over his shoulder as casually as possible, but he was hyperaware of everything about her. She stepped up beside him and pointed to a nearby railing. In a well-practiced maneuver, she wrapped her yo-yo around a chimney across the way and plunged towards Tyto.

Chat sat there and watched her before realizing that he needed to get moving. He tried to shake out the thoughts that were crowding his head. This was  _ not _ the time! Scrambling towards the railing, he activated Cataclysm and watched Ladybug as she tackled Tyto. Or tried to. It was eerie how easily Tyto avoided Ladybug. With a flick of her wrist, Tyto sent one of her marbles after Ladybug, catching her in the chest and sending her flying into a nearby wall.  Chat gasped and darted over to her, desperate to check on her. On his way over, he ran his hand along a nearby wall, letting the bricks tumble down towards Tyto in an effort to slow her down.

“So the cat comes out of hiding…”

He turned to see Tyto approaching them, a smirk on her face. Ladybug shoved at his chest and groaned, “Chat, the plan!… What’re you doing here? You know I’m fine. The suit protects me, even if it does leave me sore.”

Before he could respond, the wall beside them exploded as Tyto sent a marble flying at them. She frowned, “That was supposed to hit you. Ughh… It’s hard to be accurate with these things.”

Gathering Ladybug in his arms, he jumped up to the rooftops, finding a hiding place for her. “I-I’m sorry. I just saw you get hurled against the wall and the plan just slipped from my mind.”

Worry lined her face, “It’s been a long time since you’ve done that, Chat. Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yeah! I’m fine! Just had a lot going on with the w-wedding planning and stuff. Ummm… Anyways, if you could just think of another plan, we’ll be good? I’ll go out and play distraction and buy you time, okay? Okay. Good. Bye!” He scrambled away, leaving a very confused and concerned partner behind.

Darting out of the shadows, he tackled Tyto, knocking her down. An old, tattered book flew out of her hands, skidding underneath one of the cars parked on the street. Chat scrambled to snatch Tyto’s Miraculous from her wrist, but was knocked away by one of her marbles. He went flying back, thrown against a car. Tyto stood up and summoned her marbles back, using them to lift the front of the cars up and find the book. Aching from the blow, Chat staggered to his feet, trying to reach the book before Tyto did.

His movement caught Tyto’s eye and another marble was soon sent speeding after him. Barely managing to deflect it with his staff, he found himself struggling since the marble would come in at different angles each time. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Tyto continue their search. He began to panic. Without both of her marbles, she was only able to push the car aside each time. It was slower than before, but she was still moving efficiently down the line of cars. Effectively pinned by the attacking marble, there was no way for him to stop her. Desperation swept through him and he braced himself to dive towards her and risk being hit by the marble in a last ditch attempt at retrieving the book.

Just as she moved aside the car that the book had slid beneath, a flash of red swept by, snatching the book and then yo-yoing over to Chat. A quick glance at each other and Ladybug handed him the book before hurling her yo-yo at the marble and sending it into the brick of a nearby building where it stuck into the wall. Chat held onto the book and then vaulted up to the nearest roof.

Behind him, he could hear Ladybug and Tyto dancing through the street. He was sure that if he looked, he’d see flashes of sunlight glinting off the small marbles as they hurtled towards Ladybug. He’d see streaks of red as Ladybug dodged and sent her yo-yo out in return. Battles were always fierce between them and their goal, as always, was to retrieve Tyto’s Miraculous. But his job was not to stay behind and fight right now.

The book in his hand had priority and he wouldn’t allow his insecurities to take over as they had earlier in the fight. He knew better and going against Tyto on pure instinct was a fight that was sure to lead to failure. So he kept moving along the rooftops until he reached the police, handing them his precious bundle, before rushing back to his Lady.

Without him, Ladybug could hold her own against Tyto, but it was a tug of war where both sides were equally matched. With him, they were able to push over that balance and overcome Tyto. Landing beside his partner, he waited for her to tell him his plan. A slight shift in her stance hinted at their next move. Taking over in defending against Tyto’s marbles, he stepped forward, pressing in on Tyto.

Ladybug shifted and then stepped out from behind him, whipping her yo-yo around him to wrap around Tyto’s wrist. Narrowed eyes gazed at the duo and the two saw Tyto mutter something. The bracelet at Tyto’s wrist flashed brightly and the eyes of her mask glowed a bright white for an instant. Then, the fierce barrage of marbles faltered as Tyto gripped the string of the yo-yo and pulled hard, dragging Ladybug forward and off balance. Quickly unwinding the string from her wrist, she threw one of her marbles over a rooftop where it hung in midair. The other marble stayed clenched in her hand and dragged her towards the first marble, like magnets coming together. As she neared the marble above the rooftop, she reached out to grab it while before throwing it forward again, allowing her to speed away.

Chat and Ladybug stood on the streets below, tired and worn out. Despite how difficult traveling with the marbles appeared, Tyto had learnt to use it well and catching up with her was impossible. Retracting her yo-yo, Ladybug tossed it into the air, watching as a wave of pink light washed throughout the city, restoring the damage that had been caused by the Miraculous.

Today’s fight had been more chaotic than usual and Chat knew that it was due in large part to his own actions. Ladybug gave him their traditional fist bump, before nodding her head towards the rooftops. Together, they leapt up to the rooftops. Sticking to their routine, Chat turned to detransform in a place away from Ladybug… only to be caught by a hand on his wrist.

“Chat? We need to talk about that fight… and everything else. Can I… can I come visit you tonight at home?” Her hand felt like the last thing that held him in place. Her gaze and her words were far stronger and left him feeling guilty. He’d put them in danger. Sure, it wasn’t intentional, but it still was unacceptable.

Shoulders slumped, he nodded, willing to accept the lecture that he deserved. Suddenly her hand left his wrist and went to ruffle his hair.

“Minou? It’ll be okay. I just think that we’ll have an easier time after we talk about it, okay? I’m not blaming you. We fought off Tyto and that’s all that matters. But I don’t want you to feel nervous or anything just because you revealed yourself to me.”

Feeling a bit better, he pulled together a cocky grin. “You mean you just want the chance to ogle at my claw-some body out of the suit.”

She rolled her eyes, but couldn’t get the grin off of her face. “Go on, minou. I’ll see you at nine tonight.”

With a quick bow, aware that his timer was about to run out, he spun around and scampered away to detransform. He may have been imagining it, but he thought that he’d seen a hint of a blush on her face as he left…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed meeting Tyto! My friend drew a picture of them and I'm planning to post it on my tumblr later (auralaet for those who are curious). Thanks again for reading and for your patience! Once again, any and all comments are appreciated! They're literally why this story is moving forward lol.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope that was a decent start! Any comments and reviews are welcome! I'm slowly working on the next part, so no guarantees on when that will be uploaded. Thanks for taking the time to read this!


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